You can't run
by devictor23
Summary: Being in juvie sucks, but moving in with your brother and his boyfriend may suck more.
1. Chapter 1

As Carl watched his watch go from 7:59 am to 8:00 am, he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He had been in this hell hole for two months and he was ready to go. He and Little hank got charged with possession and intention to sale. Kevin had some extra weed from the ice cream truck that he let the Gallaghers have. Carl and Hank wanted to make some extra money and got caught. The judge gave them two months in juvenile detention for the offense. She told them that she was going to make them into model citizens. She also told them this would be their last offense as juveniles, and that the next time she saw either of them again, she'd give them the maximum penalty.

After being released from his room by the officer on duty, Carl had to meet with the judge to have an evaluation of his stay, before Fiona could sign his release officer led Carl to the cafeteria where the judge was waiting for him.

As Carl sat down in front of her, he was surprised to see how different she looked outside of court. She had short blonde hair, blue eyes and a nice smile. She had on a light green tank top that showed off her boobs, skinny jeans and flip flops. Carl didn't think judges where allowed to dress like that, but he wasn't complaining at all. She was probably somewhere in her forties, but she looked much younger. Carl couldn't help thinking how hot it would be to fuck her. He liked older women.

"Didn't know judges could dress like this outside the courthouse." Carl said fixing his dick in his boxers in front of the judge. She was really getting him worked up.

"Mr. Gallagher, nice to see you again. Hopefully your stay here wasn't so bad." Judge Hudson said, taking a sip from her coffee mug, and rolling her eyes at Carl's lewd gesture.

"Well if you like dick, it's paradise. But for me it was hell. I really have a bad case of blue balls. You think you could help?" Carl asked with a smirk on his face. He knew it probably wasn't a good idea talking to the judge like that, but he couldn't help himself, she was fucking hot.

"Mr. Gallagher if you don't watch your mouth I'll have this officer restrain you with extreme force and add another two months to your sentence." Judge Hudson said with a calm voice like she wasn't surprised by Carl's words. "Are we clear young man?"

Looking at the Judges lips, Carl really wanted to say something sexual to her, but he really didn't feel like getting beat up by the officer or getting two more months in hell.

"Yeah I hear you loud and clear judge, now when can I get the hell out of here?" Carl asked not really wanting to stay in juvie for another second.

"Well when learn to respect your elders, I'll let you know." Judge Hudson said with a playful smile, knowing she has the upper hand in this situation.

"Sorry judge, I apologize. I'm ready to start this evaluation." Carl said trying to sound as polite as he could.

"That's more like it." Judge Hudson said while pulling some documents from a folder labeled with Carl's name.

"Now I'll need you to sign these papers, stating you agree with the rules of your remediation, and you can be released." Judge Hudson said, handing Carl a pen.

"Remediation?" Carl asked in a confused voice. He thought he already did his time.

"Yes Mr. Gallagher. It's to ensure you become a law abiding citizen. You'll be giving a parole officer who'll check in with you and you'll have to do community service or get a job."

"I thought I already did my time judge." Carl said trying to stay calm. This was complete utter bullshit.

"Mr. Gallagher what you did was a serious offense, and your family record doesn't help. I know your related to Philip and Francis Gallagher, and it's my job to ensure you don't turn out like them." Judge Hudson said in a perfectly even tone. She couldn't unleash another Gallagher on the community that easily.

"What if I refuse to sign this?" Carl asked holding up the remediation paper. This couldn't be the only way he could get out of here.

"Well it's either that, or another two months in juvenile detention. I told you already Mr. Gallagher, I'll make sure you'll become a good citizen. It's your choice." Judge Hudson explained.

"God this sucks." Carl said placing his head on the table. He had to keep calm or face more trouble.

"That may very well be so Carl, but you put yourself in this situation not me. Now what's your decision?"


	2. Chapter 2

Walking out of the juvenile detention center, Carl felt the sun beaming on his head. If it wasn't for the sun, he might actually believe he was living a nightmare. He couldn't believe he actually signed those remediation papers, but somehow he agreed to do community service and have a parole officer.

Heading towards the exit, Carl suddenly stopped when he heard his name being called. As he looked ahead, his little brother ran towards him, arms wide open, tears streaking his face.

"Carl, you're finally out!" Liam screamed as he hugged his brother around the waist. "I missed you."

Hugging Liam with the same amount of force, Carl couldn't help but feel tears start to sting his eyes. "I missed you too buddy."

"Hey Liam you can't hog all the hugging time, I want one too." Lip said with a playful smile on his face.

"Hey don't forget about us." Fiona said with a big smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

Looking around made Carl realize why he signed those papers. He missed his family like crazy. Being a Gallagher, family always comes first, and being in juvie made Carl realize it even more. Having all of his brothers and sisters around him right now made him feel like one lucky guy. He knew he fucked up, but knowing they still cared made all the difference.

"Hey guys lets get going, we gotta party to get to. Don't want the food getting cold." Ian says waving everyone to the parking lot.

Walking back into the Gallagher household, Carl felt all the tension leave his body. So many times they cursed that house, wished they had something better, but really it was the perfect house for them. It held so many memories, good and bad, but it was home, and Carl was glad he was back. Lip and Ian had moved out recently so the house had less members, but that didn't stop the bond they all had with each other.

Heading towards the kitchen there was a big poster that said "WELCOME BACK CARL" hanging from the ceiling. The kitchen had all of Carl's favorite foods and deserts, there was a ton of beer everywhere, and good music playing in the background.

"Home sweet home." Carl mumbled to himself as he grabbed a beer from the fridge.

Watching his family dance and laugh in the living room made Carl smile more than he could ever remember, but as he and Fiona shared a glance with each other, he felt like a jackass all over again. He knew Fiona was still pissed off at what he did, and he knew he disappointed her with his actions, but any doubt he had about his sister loving him melted away when she smiled at him.

"Carl c'mon." Fiona said waving Carl into the living room. "You don't wanna miss your own party do you?"

Placing his beer on the kitchen counter, and walking into the living room, Carl gave Fiona one of the biggest hugs ever, leaning in to whisper, "Thanks for always being a great sister."

"Ok guys, I gotta go. Have to be at work early tomorrow." Ian said pulling his jacket onto his shoulders.

"You got enough leftovers for you and Mickey?" Fiona asked while clearing off the table. She knew they were going to be eating this for days so she was trying to get rid of some.

"Yeah I'm good thanks Fi." Ian says holding up his to go bag. "I'll try to swing by tomorrow after work, for movie night. Love you guys, bye." Ian says walking out the door.

"Hey guys I should probably get going too. I gotta big company meeting tomorrow." Lip says grabbing his keys off the table. "Fi call me if you need anything, and Carl please stay out of trouble." Lip says smirking at Carl who gives him the finger on his way out.

"Ok lets just straighten up a little bit, then you guys can head upstairs." Fiona says handing Carl the broom

"Sorry Fiona I can't stay long, I gotta go meet somebody." Carl says not trying to look Fiona in the eye.

"Carl is it really that important, you just got back home and your already trying to leave?" Fiona questioned, looking at Carl in disbelief.

"Fi it won't take long I promise. It's just a little celebration party." Carl says.

Looking at Liam and Debbie who both look like they're ready to pass out and then at the clock on the wall as it flashes 11:15 pm. Fiona reluctantly agrees to let Carl leave.

"Debbie, Liam you guys can head upstairs, I'll finish up down here." Fiona says pulling her hair into a ponytail.

Making sure they've gotten out of earshot, Fiona steps into Carl's face.

"No more bullshit Carl. Now I'm giving you until one in the morning to get back home, or you can spend the night somewhere else. We clear?"

"Sir yes sir." Carl said.

Walking to the front door, Carl wondered how he couldn't get in trouble tonight, especially when it was Hank he was meeting up with.


	3. Chapter 3

Heading towards Little Hank's house, Carl wondered what his best friend had planned for them tonight. They hadn't seen each other in two months. Judge Hudson made sure to separate them when they went to juvie, so it was time to celebrate their release. Hank always threw the best parties. Carl knew that Hank's parties usually had drugs and alcohol, but as long as he got home by Fiona's deadline, what's the worst that could happen?

Rounding the corner to Hank's street, Carl was surprised at how loud the music was. He could hear it from down the street. Judging by how many cars were parked on the street, Hank must have invited the entire neighborhood. Getting to the door, Carl used both of his fists to bang on the door, he doubted that anyone would hear him otherwise. Banging once more Carl was about to head back home when the door opened.

"Sup man." Hank said as he saw Carl standing in front of him. Closing the door so they could hear over the music.

Doing a quick once over, Carl noticed Hank's bloodshot eyes and the joint he held between his fingers. He had a crazy smile plastered on his face. He was barefoot and only had a pair of shorts on. His hair was everywhere and his nose was red, probably from to many lines of coke. He looked like he'd been partying since he was released.

"I see you started without me man." Carl said, taking the joint from Hank. After taking a hit he passed it back.

"Yeah man, had to have some fun right?" Hank asked taking his last hit from the joint, before throwing it into the grass.

"How longs the party been going on?" Carl asked grabbing a cigarette from his pocket. "Hope I didn't miss all the fun."

"You ain't missed nothing yet. Running low on supplies though." Hank said with a smile. All the drugs he was on was probably the reason the party was low on supplies.

"I'm about to go on a beer run." Hank said pulling a pair of keys from his pocket. "You in?"

Carl had no idea who's car Hank had stolen this time, but he knew he was in for one wild night.

"Yeah man but I'm driving." Carl said snatching the car keys. He knew his best friend wasn't in any shape to be driving.

On the drive to the gas station, Carl couldn't help but notice how different Hank was. Carl didn't think someone could change so much in such little time. Hank grew his hair out longer, his voice had gotten deeper, and he'd even gained a little muscle while in juvie. It was like he was a different person.

"So was your dad mad when you got locked up?" Carl asked, trying to make conversation at the red light.

"No, he was proud. Told me I was becoming a man now." Hank said. "Why, did your family throw a fit?" Hank asked looking over at Carl who had began driving again.

"A fit?" Carl laughed out. "Hell it was more like the apocalypse. Fiona almost disowned me, Liam wouldn't stop crying, Debbie just gave me this look, Lip wasn't there, business trip I think, and Ian just ignored me like I wasn't even there." Carl said pulling into the gas station. "It was crazy having no one come visit me at first."

"Dude that's fucked up. Family isn't supposed to treat you like that." Hank says while pulling his cut off shirt over his head.

"They were just a little disappointed in me. It wasn't too bad." Carl said turning the car off. "You want me to come in with you?"

"Naw man just wait for me out here. I got a little business I gotta handle." Hank said pulling a gun from the glove compartment.

As Carl watched Hank hide the gun in the waistband of his pants, he felt his stomach turn. The last time Hank brought a gun with them, was to a drug deal. The drug deal had gone wrong and Hank tried shooting the kid for not having enough money. Carl knew shit was going to be crazy tonight, but he didn't expect to be a getaway driver.

"Hank dude what the fuck are you doing?" Carl asked staring at Hank with a confused look. "I thought you said this was a beer run."

"Carl calm down. It is a beer run, but the guy who works nights owes me for some oxy's and xanax he got off me before we got locked up." Hank said stepping out the car.

"Then why do you need the gun?" Carl asked trying to figure out where this situation was going.

"This" Hank said patting the hidden gun, "this is just a little support just in case things get a little crazy."

Watching Hank go into the store was like watching a car crash in the works. Carl knew the possibility of Hank getting into trouble was high when he was normal, but today he was high and had a gun. Hank always tended to go overboard when he was high, and Carl feared for the worst. Laying his head against the steering wheel, Carl couldn't help but notice the time on his watch. It was well past 12:00, and Fiona told him to be back by 1:00. At the rate Hank was taking to get out of the store, Carl wouldn't even get one drink fucking drink. At this rate he'd be lucky to get home on time.

The flashing lights of two police cars was what got Carl to look up, the sound of two gun shots is what got Carl to get out of the car, and the sight of Hank running out of the store towards him, clutching his bloody chest, screaming run, is what made him run for his life.


	4. Chapter 4

Thumping was all he could hear as he stopped to catch his breath. His heart was beating so fast, he was sure it was going to fall out of his chest. Carl was used to running from the police. As a Gallagher, it was like a rite of passage to escape the police, one that Carl had long since passed. Running from the police was easy; dodging their bullets was the hard part. Luckily for him, running track at school had made him faster than Fiona. Carl had always been athletic; however, when a bullet grazed his arm, he knew he was far from invincible.

Running around the corner by the grocery store Fiona used to work at, Carl saw his escape from the police, the dumpster. Without second guessing his plan, and with nowhere else to go, Carl lifted the lid of the dumpster and hopped in. The smell of the dumpster was overwhelming as it hit his nostrils. It smelled like a mixture of old fermented fruit and eggs. Carl knew he was going to smell like this for days, but escaping was his only concern. Throwing himself into the dumpster proved to be a smart idea as Carl heard the police run by, their flashlights shining through the cracks in the dumpster. He could hear other police officers telling them to check the park a few blocks away.

Waiting for about 10 minutes until he was sure the police were gone, Carl pulled out his phone to call for help. Looking at his phone, the time flashed 2:42 am, well past Fiona's curfew. Fuck he thought as he saw his notifications. He had 4 missed calls from Fiona, and a couple texts from Lip, asking where he was, and if he was ok. Fiona was going to kill him when he got home, if he got home. Fortunately, he knew someone he could crash with, Mickey.

Mickey was honestly like another brother to Carl at this point. They both loved guns, beer, and silly cartoons. After Mickey's brothers disowned him for being gay, Carl told Mickey he could be part of their family if he wanted, now they were inseparable. Mickey and Ian have been going steady for 5 years now, even moving into their own apartment closer to the North Side. Mickey no longer sold drugs or terrorized people like he used to, but his advice had saved Carl's ass multiple times. Ian didn't really like Mickey giving Carl advice about drugs and gangs, but he was glad Mickey kept his little brother safe.

Carl took a second peek out from under the lid. It was completely dead around him except for the crickets. Dialing Mickey's number, Carl knew Mickey would be pissed for waking him up, but he needed him to pick up. As the phone rang a couple times, Carl got worried before he heard Mickey answer the phone.

"Carl what the fuck, it's 3 in the morning." Mickey yawned into the phone.

"Hey Mickey I'm sorry ok, but I need your help." Carl whispered into the phone, trying to keep his cover, he wasn't sure who might be lurking around.

Carl could hear Mickey shifting in bed, probably trying not to wake Ian up. "Carl why the fuck are you whispering?" Mickey asks, voice sounding tired and irritated.

"Well I'm kinda inside a dumpster right now, the police were chasing me." Carl said in a hushed tone. Saying it out loud really made him realize how shitty his predicament was.

"What the he'll Carl, you just got out this morning. What the hell did you do this time?" Mickey asks, voice rising in anger.

"Little Hank wanted to go for a beer run. He said it was a business trip too. He took a gun with him and shot the fucking Arab guy who owed him money for some pills. The cops came and we ran." Carl said trying to sum up the story.

"So why do you need my help if Little Hank is with you?" Mickey asks in a confused tone. Not fully understanding why Carl woke him up if he was with his fucking sidekick.

"Cause he got shot in the fucking chest, the cops got him when we first started running. They grazed me with a bullet, but other than that I'm fine." Carl said peeking from under the lid again, making sure he was still alone.

"So what do you want from me Carl? I got work in the morning, I can't stay on the phone with you all night." Mickey was really close to hanging up on Carl. He was really sleepy and had to work a double at the bar tomorrow, he didn't have time to talk to Carl all night.

"Look Mickey, can you come pick me up? Fiona will kill me if I come home tonight." Carl said, hoping he didn't sound as desperate as he thought he did.

"And what do you think Ian will do to me if I bring you here? He's still pissed I bought you a gun for your birthday, he'll cut my balls off if I let you stay here." Mickey says. He and Ian always bumped heads when it came to Carl, and he preferred to stay in Ian's good side.

"Mickey, I'm fucking begging you. Just this once please, I have no one else to call." Carl was good at playing the defenseless card. He knew Mickey wouldn't leave him stranded.

"God Carl I hate you right now. Look I'll be there in like twenty minutes, stay where you are, I'm not trying to deal with the fucking police tonight." Mickey says, sighing into the phone. He knows he'll do pretty much anything for Carl, he reminds him too much of himself sometimes.

"Mickey, you're a real fucking life saver. Love you man." Carl said happiness and excitement filling his voice.

"Yeah man whatever, just stay put, I'm on my way." Mickey said before hanging up the phone.


	5. Chapter 5

Throwing his legs over the edge of the bed, Mickey ran his hands through his hair. Sighing, he looked back at a peacefully sleeping Ian, who no doubt would cut his balls off for harboring his fugitive brother. No sex for a week Mickey thought as he grabbed the pair of sweat pants off the floor and put them on. He grabbed a cut off shirt from his dresser, and his boots from under the bed then headed out the bedroom door, closing it as soft as he could to not wake Ian up. Heading into the kitchen, Mickey reached into the top cabinet to grab his .22 pistol, if he was going back to his old neighborhood, he had to be prepared. The Milkoviches had a lot of enemies on the South Side, and he really didn't want to deal with them tonight. Ian didn't want to many guns in their apartment, to many bad memories of their past, so Mickey had to keep them hidden. Putting the gun in the waistband of his sweats, Mickey realized how fucked up his situation was as the cold metal made contact with his skin. Carl owed him for this. Grabbing his keys off the table and saying a silent prayer, Mickey headed out the front door.

The drive back to his old neighborhood was an interesting one. So many things were boarded up that Mickey questioned if he was in the right place. The Southside had never been a paradise, but looking at it now, made Mickey realize how lucky he was to get out. He'd only been back down here twice since he and Ian moved into their apartment, for Mandy's birthday, and to celebrate Lip's internship at some mechanics company. By the looks of it, things have gone from bad to worse. As he was driving under the L train, Mickey realized he didn't even know where the hell he was going, all he knew was that Carl was in a dumpster somewhere. Coming to a stop at a red light, Mickey picked his phone up and decided to call Carl.

"You better pick up you shithead." Mickey mumbled as the light turned green and he made a left, going in the direction of the gas station Carl had run from.

"Hello, Mickey?" Carl whispered into the phone.

"Yeah man it's me. Where the hell are you and why are you still fucking whispering?" Mickey asked with a pissed tone.

"I'm still in this fucking dumpster. You told me not to move." Carl whispered.

"Which fucking dumpster Carl!? I'm not about to check every fucking dumpster tonight looking for you!" Mickey yelled into the phone. Carl was really starting to be a pain in the ass right now.

"The one behind the fucking grocery store Mickey, down the street from the gas station." Carl said raising his voice a little. He knew Mickey was mad, but yelling didn't solve anything.

"Don't fucking yell at me man! I didn't even have to come get your ass, now stay there I'm on my way." Mickey said as he hung up the phone. He wasn't going to keep arguing with Carl. His night had already turned to shit, no need to make it worse.

Driving down the street, Mickey began to slow down as the flashing lights from the police cars and ambulances caught his eye. The gas station where the shooting happened was crawling with law enforcement. He saw that the local news was already filming live footage for the 5 o'clock news and the police had everything covered in yellow caution tape. How he was ever going to get Carl out of this was a mystery to him. As Mickey pulled behind the grocery store, he turned his headlights off. He didn't need anyone seeing him helping some kid out of the dumpster. Getting out of the car, Mickey grabbed his gun that he placed in the passenger seat, and headed to the dumpster.

"Carl. You still in there man?" Mickey asked knocking on the dumpster. Hopefully the little shithead actually stayed still for once.

As the lid of the dumpster began to lift, Mickey took a step back. The smell of the dumpster was so overwhelming, that Mickey had to cover his face with his shirt just to breath. How the hell did Carl jump into this?

"I can finally fucking breath." Carl said as he tumbled out of the dumpster. Mickey would have laughed if their situation wasn't so crazy. As Carl stood up he went to hug Mickey, before he was stopped by a hand to his chest.

"You touch me with all that stank on you, I'll rip your fucking arms off." Mickey said with a stern look on his face.

"Fine man, you win. Now can we please leave before the cops see us?" Carl said holding his arms up in mock surrender. He was glad Mickey came to get him, but he was really ready to go.

"You're not getting in my car smelling like that man." Mickey said lighting a cigarette. Enjoying the way the nicotine instantly calmed his nerves.

"What the fuck Mickey. Do you see a shower anywhere? What am i supposed to do strip?" Carl said looking at Mickey with a confused look.

"Yeah." Mickey said simply, flicking the ash from his cigarette on the ground.

"God Mickey. Why do you have to be so difficult? Carl asked pulling his shirt over his head.

"Comes with being a Milkovich." Mickey said shrugging. "Your pants and shoes too. I have a bag in the trunk you can put your shit in."

"You must love seeing Gallagher boys strip huh? Carl asked pulling his pants down.

"Only if they have big dicks and firecrotches." Mickey said with a sly grin on his face.

"Ew dude I really don't want to hear about my brothers dick and pubes." Carl said walking towards the car.

"You asked man. Now come on, I hate being down here, this place makes my fucking skin crawl." Mickey said stomping on his cigarette with his boot.

Grabbing the bag from the trunk, Carl threw his stinky clothes in and tied the bag. The sudden coldness from being in just his boxers sent chills down his spine. Chills that made him realize how serious shit was at the moment. He wondered if Hank was ok. If the police would tie him to the shooting. If Fiona was really going to put him out. She'd done it to Lip when he didn't want to go to school, but this was worse. She said no more bullshit and Carl went and fucked up.

"I really fucked up this time huh?" Carl asked getting into the passenger seat.

"Welcome to the real world Carl, full of hand me downs and disappointment." Mickey said starting the car back up.

"I'll take that as a yes." Carl said rolling down his window. He could still smell the dumpster on his skin. Hopefully the breeze would blow away the smell and his worries.

As he felt himself relax into his seat, Carl couldn't help but think of how bad things were eventually going to get. Fiona always said that life was like a series of cascading failures, once something bad happened more bullshit was right around the corner. Being a Gallagher meant bullshit was always around the corner, and sometimes Carl felt he wasn't fast enough to outrun it.


	6. Chapter 6

The drive back to his apartment was a quite one. Both Carl and Mickey were to busy thinking of a way out of their current situation. They had no idea what happened to Hank, the store clerk, or how much the police knew. They had both experienced their full share of trouble, came with being Southside, but this somehow seemed bigger than them. The peace and quiet of the car was disrupted when Mickey's phone started to ring. Seeing that it was Ian calling, Mickey hit the ignore button, only for his phone to start ringing again.

"Yeah." Mickey said answering the phone. He was hoping to not have to deal with Ian until later on. That didn't seem to be happening though.

"Mick where the hell are you?" Ian asked yawning into the phone. He was still confused as to where Mickey had went. He had woke up to use the restroom when he noticed Mickey wasn't in bed anymore.

"Running errands." Mickey said glancing over at Carl, who was asking who was on the phone.

"At fucking 3 in the morning? What the fuck is going on Mick? You didn't meet up with Trevor again did you?" Ian asked, disappointment in his voice.

Trevor was one of the guys the Milkovich family did business with. Mickey had promised he wouldn't run drugs with Trevor anymore, since moving into their apartment. He'd broken that promise two times so far. Ian said a third and they were done. Ian wanted to leave all negative aspects about the Southside alone, besides family. Mickey couldn't let go as easily.

"Fuck no Gallagher, I promised you I wouldn't do that anymore. I just had to help a friend out. Life or death situation." Mickey said trying to calm Ian down. He was already knee deep in shit, he didn't need to be fighting with Ian too.

"Is it Carl you're helping?" Ian said suddenly, like he had been struck with an epiphany. He knew how close they were, and this wasn't the first time Mickey helped Carl out. "Mickey is it Carl? Fiona's been worried all night."

"What, no, Gallagher what the fuck are you talking about?" Mickey stuttered out. Ian had caught him off guard with that.

"Don't give me that bullshit Mickey! The only people you'd help out in the middle of the fucking night are me, Mandy and Carl! Put him on the phone!" Ian yelled.

He was officially pissed and that was never good. Ian became a different person when he was mad.

"Alright, alright fine." Mickey said

As Mickey handed Carl the phone, he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Ian always got onto Carl about getting into trouble. Not living up to his potential. He knew Ian only wanted what was best for his brother, but sometimes he let his anger cloud his judgement.

"Hello." Carl said weakly into the phone, knowing the screaming was about to start.

"What the fuck Carl!? Is it that hard to stay out of trouble? You know how bad Fiona worries about you! How bad is it this time!?" Ian yelled, getting straight to the point.

"Possible murder." Carl said.

"Fuck me." Ian said sighing. "How many people Carl?" He knew with Carl it could be a possible massacre.

"Two. Hank and the Arab guy from the gas station. Not sure how bad they're hurt though." Carl said trying not to upset Ian anymore.

"I told you to stop hanging around Hank, I fucking told you. I knew this shit would happen." Ian said bitterly.

Carl honestly didn't have anything else to say. He couldn't argue with Ian. Everyone told him Hank was no good. Even Debbie, but Carl couldn't turn his back on a friend. Now he was an unwanted accomplice to a potential murder, and he could only blame himself. Fed up with waiting for a response from Carl, Ian asked to speak with Mickey again.

"Look I have to call Fiona, we'll figure this shit out when you get home. Ok?" Ian asked. He couldn't wrap his head around this at the moment.

"Yeah. Be there in a few." Mickey said before hanging up.

It was times like this that Carl wished he'd listened to his siblings more often. They all wanted the best for him, but he just kept fucking up. It's like no matter how hard he tried, he fucked up. He laughed at how fucked his situation turned in a matter of hours. He thought he was just going to get wasted tonight, celebrate his release, not end up in a dumpster, and not running from the police. Sometimes he felt like he was turning into Frank, and just the thought alone scared him.

As Mickey pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex, Carl's heart dropped. Facing an angry Ian was over the phone was one thing, but facing him in person was completely different. He wouldn't be surprised if Ian punched him as soon as he walked through the door. Stepping out of the car, the slight breeze of the early morning reminded Carl that he was in nothing but his boxers. As Mickey headed for the steps leading up to their apartment, he stopped and turned around when he noticed Carl wasn't following him.

"It's now or never kid. You're gonna have to face him anyway." Mickey said continuing up the stairs. Mickey was right, so Carl followed him up the steps to face his certain doom.

As Mickey unlocked and opened the door, they were met with the cold stare of Ian, who was waiting on the couch for them.

"What the hell happened to your clothes Carl?" Ian asked addressing the elephant in the room.

"Had to hop in a dumpster. Cops were chasing me." Carl said looking at the ground. He couldn't even look Ian in the eye.

Ian didn't say anything else, just stared at Carl. Mickey could tell he was trying to stay calm, but his resolve was slipping.

"Hey man go take a shower. I should have something that fits you in the closet." Mickey said trying to defuse the situation.

Carl gladly took the chance to leave the room as Ian glared at the both of them. As he shut the bathroom door behind him, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. As he adjusted the water temperature, he hoped the water would wash everything away. He thought maybe if he stayed under the water long enough, his problems would disappear. He knew it wouldn't happen, but that didn't stop him from wishing it would.

"I can't fucking believe you." Ian said glaring at Mickey.

"Man could we please not do this right now?" Mickey asked grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. It's been a rough night and he just wanted to go back to sleep.

"What the hell Mickey, harboring a fugitive. Now we're fucking accomplices." Ian said making his way into the kitchen. Mickey was not getting off easy for this.

"He needed fucking help. What was I supposed to do?"

Ian didn't answer. He knew he would've done the same thing. Regardless of what he did, Carl was still his brother, and the Gallaghers took care of each other.

"Fuck Mickey I know. It's just... what do we do now? The police are bound to figure out it was Carl at the scene if they don't already know." Ian said taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"I hate to say this, but we need that douche bag Lip's help with this, and the rest of your Brady bunch." Mickey said taking a huge gulp of beer.

"What are they gonna do?" Ian asked in a confused tone.

"Lip's the only guy I know who can figure a way out of this. Your family is shameless man, you'll do whatever's necessary to save your own." Mickey said simply.

He couldn't deny that the Gallagher family always managed to get out of hard times. Especially when they worked together. He admired that about them, not that he'd actually say it out loud.

"Well it's a good thing I already called Fiona. Everyone's already on their way over here." Ian said stealing the last of Mickey's beer. He needed something to take the edge off.

"God a house full of fucking Gallaghers. I'll need something stronger than beer to deal with that." Mickey said heading to his liquor cabinet. Whisky was about to become his best friend.

As Carl turned off the water to the shower, he was caught off guard by the number of voices he heard coming from the living room. Last he checked it was just Ian and Mickey here. So who did these voices belong to.

Grabbing the towel off the rack and wrapping it around his waist, Carl opened the bathroom door. As steam rolled past him, Carl was met with the cold stares of the rest of his siblings. He thought facing an angry Ian was bad, but now he had backup.

Fiona shot him a death glare, as he made his way into the living room. He just wanted to get this over with.

"Carl I don't know why I even try with you anymore. It's like you don't even care about your future." Fiona said making her way in front of her little brother.

"Fi it wasn't my fault this time. I didn't even know what was going on till it was over with." Carl says trying to defend himself. It was hard when so many things were going against him at the moment.

"It's never your fault is it Carl. You never do anything wrong, everyone's against you right? You sound just like Frank." Fiona said looking Carl in his eyes.

He knew it was just likely the anger fueling her words, but it still hurt. His ultimate fear was ending up like Frank, and it pissed him off that Fiona saw him like that.

"You know what Fiona, I'm sorry if you feel like you're wasting your time raising me, but I never asked you to. You're not my fucking mom, your my sister, act like it!" Carl yelled.

No one saw it coming, but everyone heard the sound of Fiona's hand connecting to Carl's face. Fiona had never hit any of them, but her emotions had gotten the best of her.

"I told you no more bullshit Carl, and I meant it. You don't like the way I'm doing things you can leave. I'm done, ok. I'm fucking done!" Fiona yelled, tears streaking her face.

"Fuck this shit. You don't want me anymore I'll fucking leave. I don't need anybody." Carl said.

Grabbing the clothes Mickey had laid out for him on the couch, Carl made his way to the door. His shoes were still in Mickey's trunk, but he could care less. They didn't want him around he'd leave. Turning to look at his family one more time, Carl turned and left. Slamming the door behind him.

Liam was the first to react. He was headed to the door to follow after Carl when Lip stopped him.

"C'mon buddy, we got bigger problems to solve."

As everyone set back down. Lip had to assess the situation before he could come up with a plan.

"So what's the situation looking like Mickey?" Lip asked

"Two shot. Police crawling everywhere and the fucking news is already there. We have one maybe two hours at the most to fix this shit." Mickey said. The situation sounded worse the more he said it.

"Fuck. Ok guys here's the plan." Lip said pulling a cigarette out. He had to calm his nerves if he was going to think straight.

"Fiona, call Tony and see what all he knowsabout the shooting. Find out if he can get to the scene and slow the process down." Lip said.

Fiona took her phone into the kitchen trying to reach Tony.

"Debs, I need you to call the hospital and check on Hank's condition. Pretend your his sister or they want give you any information." Lip said. He knew Debbie was a good lier and good at getting information.

"Liam, I need you to go to the phone booth around the corner and call the police. Make up some crazy story about robberies, gunshots, or whatever. We have to get as many cops as we can away from the gas station." Lip said looking at his baby brother. He really didn't want to involve Liam, but they needed all the help they could get.

"Ian I need you to call that reporter guy you fucked. We'll need him on the inside to change the news reports before they come out. I'm sure he doesn't want his career to end when people find out he was taking it in the ass from some Southside kid." Lip knew Ian used to be the guys personal trainer before his wife got suspicious.

Mickey still cringed at the thought of Ian fucking anyone but him. They'd broken up because of it, but eventually got back together.

"Mickey I need you to come up with an airtight alibi. If we don't pull this shit off, we'll need that as a plan b." Lip said

Mickey hated his father, but he did learn all about avoiding cops from him. Everyone knew the Milkoviches had the best alibis.

"While you guys are busy with that, I'll take care of the video cameras. This guy I work with at that mechanics company is real good at tapping into wireless networks. Just gotta give him some top notch weed and he'll hook me up." Lip said.

Looking at everyone around him, Lip couldn't help but feel worried. He had faith that they could pull it off but it would still be tough. The Gallaghers have always managed to bounce back from everything life had thrown their way. Hopefully luck was still on their side


	7. Chapter 7

When shit hits the fan and there's no where else to run. When all hell breaks loose and you're in a life or death situation, that's when your families character is shown. A lot of families were all bark and no bite. Claiming to love you and have your back, but leave you stranded the first moment they get. As Lip looked around at his family, he was glad they weren't all bark and no bite. He knew all of his siblings would kill for him and he'd do the same. In this crazy world, it was comforting knowing you had people looking out for you. Even if you didn't want it at times.

Lip had given everyone an hour to fulfill their assigned tasks. Time was running out and they had to get this shit under control. They couldn't afford any mistakes, family was on the line.

"Ok guys, status report." Lip announced, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Fiona?" Lip questioned, taking his seat on the edge of the couch.

"Luckily for us, Tony was already on the scene, he's been working third shift lately." Fiona stated looking around the room, making sure everyone was paying attention.

"Yeah. So what's going on at the scene. How much do the pigs know?" Mickey asked before taking a sip of his third beer. Ian took the whisky from him, didn't want him getting to drunk.

"Tony told me that they have to wait until morning to proceed, not enough police. They have some coming in from another county, which gives us a little bit more time." Fiona stated.

"Ok Debbie how'd it go with the hospital?" Lip asked looking over at Debbie who was in the kitchen making coffee for everyone.

"At first they didn't want to give me any info, told me I had to come up to the hospital. I gave them a real good sob story and they told me he was in the ICU. The bullet punctured a lung, he'll be out for a while." Debbie explained, bringing the pot of coffee into the living room.

"Good, they won't be able to question him then. Won't be able to snitch on Carl now." Lip said pouring himself some coffee. He'd never went to sleep, so he was exhausted.

"Southside don't snitch." Mickey said eyeing Lip.

Regardless of Mickey moving to the north side, he was still south side to the core, and still respected it's values.

"Yeah tell me that after Carl ends up in jail." Lip stated rolling his eyes.

"Liam, how did those phone calls go?" Lip questioned looking at his baby brother who was almost completely asleep on the floor.

"Sent the cops to the north side. Told them my mom was bipolar and locked herself into the bathroom with a gun." Liam yawned out.

"Good job kid, that'll give us at least another hour." Lip said smiling while turning to look at Ian.

"How'd it go with grandpa news?" Lip asked.

"Fuck off Lip, this isn't the time to be making jokes." Ian said giving Lip the finger. "Greg said that he could postpone the story for like two hours. He might also be able to change the facts of the story before they show it on air, but it means nothing if the cameras aren't taken care of." Ian said.

Greg was one of the top news correspondents in Chicago. Ian met him when Greg requested a personal trainer from the gym Ian worked at. He said he wanted to be trained, but all he was looking for was a good fuck.

The only reason Ian fucked him was the fact that he had connections. He was friends with a number of judges who could expunge records. Ian knew Mickey couldn't get hired anywhere in the North side without a background check, so he eventually gave in to Greg's requests. Mickey didn't see it that way, and they broke up, only to get back together a month later.

"I got the cameras taken care of. That guy I work with, Kareem, is taken care of it right now. I had to give up some good weed and $300 dollars, but he'll get the job done." Lip said taking a sip from his coffee.

"So what now? Do we just wait?" Fiona asked Lip as she headed to the kitchen.

"Now we hide Carl."

"Hide Carl, where you going with this Philip?" Mickey questioned Lip while flicking through the endless amounts of commercials on tv.

"That's your alibi. How could Carl have done any of this shit, if he's been with you two all night?" Lip asked looking between Ian and Mickey.

"I still don't understand where you're going with this Lip." Ian said looking at his brother with a confused look on his face.

"I'm saying, Carl has to live here for a while. I'm pretty sure he's not going to come home after his and Fiona's argument." Lip stated looking at Fiona who was putting the coffee creamer back into the cabinet. "So this is the best place for him."

"I'm not living with two Gallaghers. I already have my hands full with him." Mickey snorted, flicking the back of Ian's ear

"Why here? Why not your place?" Ian asked swatting Mickey's hand away.

"Because Carl needs a role model. Fiona's done her best, but Carl needs a positive male experience. Ian, you managed to change him." Lip said pointing at Mickey. "I'm sure you can help Carl."

A mild sense of nausea swept over Ian as he thought about this current situation. Being a role model for someone and being in a relationship were two completely different things. He and Mickey had there ups and downs, that was a natural part of being in a relationship, but he didn't think he could be anyone's role model.

He wasn't even sure how he'd go about looking after a child. Carl may have been going on 16 now, but he was still a child. Ian had always admired Fiona for all the great things she'd done for them, but he didn't think he could do it. Now everyone's eye's were on him like he honestly had a clue.

"What do you think Fiona?" Ian asked looking warily in her direction

"I love Carl, I love all you guys. All I ever wanted for you guys was the best, and I think this is best." Fiona announced wiping stray tears from her face.

"What about you Mickey?" Ian asked turning around to face Mickey.

"It'll be hard living with two Gallaghers, but family is family right? As long as he doesn't eat my fucking snacks, he can stay." Mickey stated simply. Never one to express too much emotion.

"Ok then it's settled, Carl will stay with you guys until this shit storm blows over." Lip announced getting up from the chair he was sitting in.

"Look guys, we're Gallaghers and Gallaghers always land on our feet. Don't worry about anything, we've gotten through worse." Lip said heading towards the door. "I'll see you guys later."

As soon as Lip left, the rest of the Gallagher clan left as well, including Ian. He wanted to spend time with his family, which left Mickey alone, with just his thoughts. He still couldn't believe how his night had turned out, but he was glad he had Ian and his family to go through this bullshit with him.

The sudden ringing of Mickey's phone startled him from his thoughts. Looking down at the name that popped up, Mickey felt the life drain from his body.

"Trevor what the fuck do you want?" Mickey asked not hiding the annoyance in his voice.

Why the hell was Trevor calling him this early in the morning. They haven't talked in months.

"Hey Mick, I think I have something you might want."


	8. Chapter 8

nything that can go wrong, will go wrong, at the worst possible moment. Some people called this Murphy's law, Mickey called it his life. After his conversation with Trevor, Mickey was convinced that his life was determined to go to shit, no matter how hard he tried to run and get away from his past.

Apparently after Carl had left his apartment, he went to Trevor's house to vent. One to many hits of a joint, and a line of coke later, Carl was passed out on Trevor's floor. Trevor called him to come pick Carl up, but Mickey knew that wasn't the real reason Trevor wanted Mickey to come over. Trevor always had something sneaky planned. Now Mickey had to not only rescue Carl, but go to his old neighborhood, again. Mickey was used to bullshit, but this was reaching an all time high.

As Mickey stepped out of his car, he looked across the street at Trevor's house. He had promised himself and Ian, that he would never come back here, but promises are always broken. Walking up the cracked steps leading to the front door, Mickey felt a bad case of nausea overtake him. His last time in this house hadn't gone over well, and he just knew Trevor was up to something.

Knocking loudly on the door, Mickey waited impatiently for it to open. As the door finally opened, Mickey realized exactly why he'd promised himself to never return to this house.

Trevor stood in the doorway, arms crossed, smirk on his face. Trevor had a way of making Mickey squirm, and he knew it. Trevor had jet black hair, as dark as Mickey's, and steel grey eyes, that made you wonder what was going on in his head. He was a little taller than Mickey, less muscular, but far more devious.

"Long time no speak, Mickey." Trevor said, smirk growing wider every second.

"Where's the fucking kid, Trev?" Mickey snarled, annoyance latched onto every word.

"Kid? What kid Mickey?"

"Don't give me that bullshit, where's Carl?" Mickey asked, patience wearing thin.

"Nice car Mickey. Seems like you moved on up without me." Trevor said looking past Mickey and at his car. He was trying his best to keep this conversation in his favor.

Pushing past Trevor rather aggressively, Mickey made his way into the house. "I don't have time for your fucking games."

"You used to." Trevor sneered while closing the door. The comment made Mickey's skin crawl, too many bad memories swirling through his head.

As soon as Mickey entered the living room. He saw Carl passed out on the floor. Mickey just shook his head at how much of a lightweight the kid was. While it was true that Gallaghers knew how to hold their booze, no one could take drugs like a Milkovich.

"He reminds me of you Mickey. Stubborn, crazy, reckless, and a real cutie." Trevor said, leaning up against the wall by the tv.

"Fuck off Trev!" Mickey said, voice rising in anger. He knew Trevor was going to try and pull some shit like this.

"Mick, you know the funny thing about promises?"

"No, but I'm sure you're going to fucking explain." Mickey stated, leaning down to check if Carl was still breathing.

"Even though you know they get broken, you still can't help hoping that they won't." Trevor said, staring at Mickey intently, who was placing a sleepy Carl on the couch.

"What do you want Trevor? I know you don't care about the kid, so why did you call me here." Mickey said deflated, turning to look at Trevor. He didn't want to prolong this visit, just wanted to get to the point.

"I want you to keep your fucking promise Mick!"

"So where do you want his clothes at?" Trevor asked. It was dark and he could hardly make out the figure standing next to him.

"Toss it with the rest of him." Mickey said, wiping the sweat from his head. Leaving a trail of blood and dirt in its place.

"Want the cops ask questions?" Trevor asked Mickey, placing the bloody clothes into the the hole that they dug.

Tossing the shovel he held aside, Mickey picked up the red container filled with gasoline, and poured the entire container into the ditch.

"Nobody's going to miss Terry Milkovich."

Pulling out the joint he had in his jacket pocket, Mickey put it to his lips and lit it. The light illuminating the panic on Trevor's face.

"You sure Mick, I can't go down for this shit."

"Don't worry Trev, I promise I'll take care of you." Mickey breathed out, smoke rising into the air.

Taking one last hit off the joint, Mickey threw it into the ditch. The fire rose into the sky, burning everything that Terry Milkovich ever stood for. His hate, his ideals, his very essence. Mickey was going to erase everything that was his father, like his father try to do to him. As his father's bones began to crack under the heat, and his flesh started to melt, Mickey couldn't help but feel the weight of the world fall off his shoulders.

"You promised me that you'd take care of me, said I'd never want for anything." Trevor started, walking towards Mickey. "As long as I did you that one little favor."

"That was three years ago Trevor. Leave it in the past." Mickey stated, placing a hand to Trevor's chest to stop him from getting closer.

Grabbing both of Mickey's hands, Trevor placed them on his hips. "That's easy for you to say when you up and leave me for that fucking redhead." Trevor whispered into Mickey's ear.

Trying to move his hands, Trevor stops him by kissing on his neck, right on the spot that always got Mickey into trouble.

"Trev stop, we can't bang anymore, I'm with Gallagher now." Mickey moaned out, dick hardening in his pants. This was going downhill fast.

Reaching down to grab Mickey through his pants, Trevor licked a wet trail down Mickey's neck. Unzipping Mickey's pants, Trevor bends down and positions himself in front of Mickey's crotch.

"He can love you good Mick." Trevor breathed out over the head of Mickey's dick. "But I can always fuck you better."


End file.
